Hey Girlies,
Happy November!
Anyone else feel like this month is always a pleasant surprise? Instead of wowing us from the treetops, the leaves blow all over, carpet everything, and smell so good. It’s a subtler, quieter beauty before the craziness of the holidays.
At the same time, November feels like the beginning of the home stretch: Lots to wrap up, plan, and reflect on before the year ends.
If working with a financial planner was on your list of 2025 goals (or is something you might explore in 2026), you’re in luck. This week’s episode features a financial planner with tons of salient advice on both how to approach your finances and how to hire a financial pro.
That (and much more) below!
On the pod 🎧
This week we welcomed Lori Atwood, CFP, to share her tough love approach on financial planning. After 25+ years and 2,000+ clients, Lori doesn’t mince words when it comes to financial advice.
Here’s what we covered in this value-packed conversation:
The concept of financial context: Basically, your whole financial picture, including your upbringing, values, and yeah, all the baggage you’ve been carrying. Traditional financial advice ignores this completely. It only looks at the numbers. But you’re not just numbers. Your circumstances matter.
An uncomfortable truth: If you’re miserable in your job, relationship, or anything else, you will spend more trying to fill that hole. Sometimes the best financial move isn’t optimizing your 401(k) — it’s getting out of what’s draining you.
What actually makes you wealthy: The richest people Lori works with aren’t the flashiest spenders. They’re satisfied. Meanwhile, she has clients making half a million dollars a year going bankrupt because there’s always another thing to buy.
The real retirement concern: Lori’s biggest worry for millennials and Gen Z? By retirement age, many of us won’t have paid-off homes or enough savings because we’re so stretched thin trying to afford daycare and college. She knows it’s tough out here, but she emphasizes the importance of investing early, however you can (that compound interest matters!).
How and when to hire help: If you want to be proactive with your finances, hiring a planner might help. (Lori likens it to going to the dentist for regular cleanings.) If you’re in the market, hire a fiduciary who charges by the hour (a fiduciary is someone who’s obligated to give advice in your best interest).
Listen to the full episode wherever you get your podcasts.
Don’t have time to listen? Check out our blog post for a quick recap and TLDR.
🎤 Mic drop moment:
“The worst thing for your finances is your unhappiness.”
Resource roundup 📚
On Sunday, I (Cassidy) listened to the most recent episode of the Diabolical Lies podcast (“Ethical Consumption” & the History of “Selling Out”). Katie and Caro cover a lot in this two-hour episode, but my biggest takeaway was this: There’s really no perfect way to consume ethically in our society under capitalism. We can (and should) do our best to spend consciously and in ways that align with our values — but at the end of the day, it’s big corporations that hold the most power to drive change (and, on the flipside, to cause the most harm).
In our networks, layoffs seem to be everywhere. (There’s nothing quite like that one-two-punch of financial stress and identity crisis — not to mention the panic of scrambling to find “affordable” health insurance.) In a recent YouTube video, Kara Pérez, former Finance Girlies guest, opens up about the challenges she and her partner have been facing in light of a layoff in *this economy*. If you or a family member is in a similar boat, it may be worth a watch.
As it stands right now, SNAP will be only partially funded for November. We’re publishing a full episode next week (Nov. 12) on ways to help and get help. But for now:
Need support? Call 211 or visit feedingamerica.org to find local food banks.
Want to help? Donate cash to local food banks (most can turn $1 into three meals), create a Free Little Pantry in your neighborhood, or check for ways to volunteer.
I (Emily) did a lot of driving over the weekend and found lots of comfort and laughs from Kate Kennedy’s podcast, Be There in 5. It’s not a new show by any means, and I’m very late to the party, but darn it if it’s not a good time for Millennial girlies. I especially loved this episode about hobbies, as we’re entering prime hobby season.
Catchup corner 💬
What we’ve been up to:
E: dressing up Clover for Halloween 🌭
C: I’m reading Harry Potter for the first time! My friend, Katie, lent me the first Harry Potter book back in August, and I justttt finished it this past weekend. Do I hate that it took me over two months to get through it? Yes. But the tides have turned, and it’s only taken me 5 days to finish the second book. My goal is to read one HP book a week until I’m through the whole series.
Peep Cass’s reading buddy 🐱
Recommended reading:
E: I’ve been obsessed with everything Anishinaabe author Angeline Boulley writes. Firekeeper’s Daughter, Warrior Girl Unearthed, and the brand-new Sisters in the Wind are genuinely brilliant, suspenseful, and timely — the kind of books that stick with you long after you put them down. If you’re looking to read a Native author this Native American Heritage Month, I can’t recommend Boulley enough.
Money “oops”
E: I bought another book… 🤷♀️
C: I bought $400 worth of groceries this past weekend. 😬 I hadn’t really stocked my pantry or fridge since I moved from Washington to Minnesota. I had just been buying enough to feed myself for the week, with nothing else left on hand. So this weekend I stocked up on a bunch of staples – canned beans, rice, spices, condiments, cheese, chicken thighs, fresh fruits and veggies, etc. I’m hoping that by spending more money on groceries, I’ll ultimately save money by spending less on takeout.
Money (mindset) tip of the week 💸
Lori’s tip: Take a moment and track your spending. What did you spend over the last month? Hold up a mirror to what you’re spending. You might be pleasantly surprised. If you’re not, you’ll at least be more informed.
Bonus: See how you’re spending matches up with your mood. Spending big when you’re in a funk? Understandable. But if your budget is tight, brainstorm ways to improve your mood without swiping your card.
If anything interesting comes up for you, hit reply and let us know!
That’s it for this week, girlies.
Love ya, bye!
E + C
P.S. Lori’s offering a $50 discount for any of our listeners who work with her! Head to her website, Fearlessfinance.com to learn more, and use code CASSIDYANDEMILY when booking an appointment.
